oing against Delbonis, a fellow left-hander who is ranked 43rd, but ev

Australian skipper Cameron Smith has confirmed he has joined the Rugby League Players Association board.It marks the first time a reigning national captain has linked with the rugby league body.Smith, also the Melbourne and Queensland captain, said he hoped to make a difference in his new role.I am passionate about our game and want to see it grow and prosper, said Smith in a statement.To help that happen I believe the playing group must be engaged in decisions that affect rugby league at all levels.The RLPA are currently involved in talks with the NRL over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), expected to completed by the end of next season.As a current NRL player, Im well aware of and understand the challenges facing players and the concerns they have about issues within the game, Smith said.The current CBA negotiations are our first priority and we want to build and maintain a strong relationship with the NRL and clubs to make sure we continue to grow our game together.Other current players on the board are George Burgess (South Sydney), Tim Mannah (Parramatta), James Maloney (Cronulla) and Jeremy Latimore (Cronulla).Smith said he had also joined the board of the Australian Athletes Alliance, the peak body for the countrys elite professional athletes. Adidas Gazelle Baratas .05 million next season unless Graham and the Saints subsequently agree on a long-term deal. The designation was released Monday after the deadline passed for NFL teams to use franchise or transition tags on players becoming free agents. Adidas Ultra Boost Baratas . The next step is a better finish. Bae played bogey-free Friday on another gorgeous day at Riviera for a 5-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Aaron Baddeley and Robert Garrigus going into the weekend. http://www.baratasnmd.com/adidas-deerupt-baratas.html . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. Adidas Prophere España . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Adidas Ultra Boost Rebajas . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. RIO DE JANEIRO -- White tape peeking out from under the red sweat band on his injured left wrist, Rafael Nadal was back in action Sunday, playing his first match in 2 1/2 months.And he was back at an Olympics for the first time in eight years.He was not, Nadal insisted after a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Argentinas Federico Delbonis at the Rio de Janeiro Games, back at full strength, however. And he will not, he also insisted, discuss the problematic tendon sheath in his racket-wielding arm for the rest of the event.My wrist is not perfect. My wrist needs more time, the Spaniard said. If it was a `normal tournament on the circuit, I wouldnt be here. My wrist is not perfect. It isnt 100 percent.Nadal won a gold medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Games, but he missed the 2012 London Olympics because of a knee injury that also forced him out of the U.S. Open later that season.Theres only one chance every four years to experience an Olympic Games. Its something unforgettable, said Nadal, who carried Spains flag during the opening ceremony. I missed the last one in London, so I didnt want to miss this one.As a former No. 1-ranked player and a 14-time Grand Slam champion, Nadal is one of his sports central figures, so his health is a significant topic in tennis. It was a key subject on a wind-swept, star-studded second day of competition in Brazil that later saw top-ranked Novak Djokovic lose in straight sets to 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.The 2012 singles gold medalists, Serena Williams and Andy Murray, both won in straight sets.During Williams uneven 6-4, 6-2 elimination of Australias Daria Gavrilova in the main stadium, winds that reached 25 mph caused delays of about 2 hours on the eight smaller courts. Murray beat Serbias Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2 in less than 1 1/2 hours.Neither Williams nor Murray had played since winning Wimbledon titles a month ago. Both played doubles later Sunday alongside older siblings -- and both lost. Williams and her sister Venus are three-time gold medalists as a team but lost an Olympic doubles match for the first time, beaten 6-3, 6--4 by the Czech Republics Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.dddddddddddd Murray and his brother Jamie wasted five set points in the second tiebreaker of a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (14) exit against Brazils Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa.Nadals contest Sunday was his first since he surprisingly showed up at a news conference at the French Open wearing a blue brace on his left wrist and announced he would be withdrawing from the clay-court tournament he has won a record nine times.A question about the wrist arrived early in the English portion of his post-match session with reporters Sunday, and when the Spanish portion began with a query about the same topic, Nadals response started with a smile and these words: I said it in English, and Ill say it again in Spanish.He made clear both times that he didnt want to address the subject the rest of the way in Rio.Nadal appeared a tad tentative in the early going against Delbonis, a fellow left-hander who is ranked 43rd, but eventually displayed confidence with his heavy-topspin forehand, producing half of his 14 winners with that stroke.Along the way to breaking for a 3-2 lead, Nadal smacked one down-the-line forehand winner, then threw a big uppercut and yelled, Vamos -- eliciting a loud roar from spectators. There was a nearly identical celebration, and crowd reaction, when the match concluded.Nadal played cleanly, making only 15 unforced errors, while Delbonis made 31.Indeed, the one thing that truly bothered the third-seeded Nadal on this day (aside, perhaps, from the wrist questions) were the on-court digital scoreboards behind each baseline. Early in the match, Nadal complained to chair umpire Carlos Ramos that the readout made it tough to see the yellow tennis balls during points.ITF spokesman Nick Imison said the brightness was adjusted during the match to accomodate Nadal.You cant play, Nadal said, when youre losing sight of the ball.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '